Returning Home
by Velocity3127
Summary: Austin's dating Kira, but he also likes Ally. Everyone knows how this turned out in the end...but what if it got more complicated? Returning home are Dallas and Cassidy. Now Austin has three girls to choose from and Ally has two guys crushing on her.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Here is a new multi-chapter fic! I got the idea for this when I re-watched all of season 1 recently, especially when I watched World Records & Work Wreckers and Diners & Daters. I mean, where did Dallas and Cassidy go...? I hope you like this (and if not, you know feedback is appreciated)!**

* * *

 **Austin's POV**

I'm torn! Should I choose Ally or Kira? I _know_ I like Ally just a _little_ more than I like Kira, but so many things could go wrong. We're not just friends, we're also partners, and if something happened between us, it wouldn't just ruin our friendship, it would also ruin our partnership. Then again, if something went wrong with me and Kira, she _is_ the daughter of the head of my record label. Either way, if things went wrong, something bad could happen. I really like both of them, though. I don't want to have to choose.

"Hey Austin!" Ally exclaims, sitting next to me on the piano bench. "What are you doing?"

I look down at the piano. "Um, I was just going to practice the piano?" I reply uncertainly. Really, I was just trying to get away from everyone so I could think, but I couldn't just tell her to leave.

"Oh...okay, should I leave then?" she aks.

"It's okay, you can stay, I guess." I reply.

"Okay," she says, moving over to give me more space.

She doesn't say anything as I start to play some pieces by memory. I might be a pop singer, but I can still play Beethoven! As I'm playing, I look over at Ally. She's twirling a lock of her hair distractedly and looking down at the ground. Ever since last night, when we almost kissed, things have been really awkward between us. I wish we could just go back to being friends, but I know that she likes me and she knows that I like her. We're both just too scared to do anything about it, worried about the consequences.

"Austin!" Dez runs in, interrupting my playing and scaring both me and Ally.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Oh, um...Ally's here? I didn't know that..." he mumbles.

"I can...I can leave if you want?" she says tentatively. I know she wants to know what Dez wants to tell me, but I also know that whatever he's going to say shouldn't involve her.

"Yeah...it would probably be good if you left." Dez says. "I mean, you can stay if you want, but it's probably not a good idea."

She nods and leaves the room without another word.

"What is it, buddy?" I ask worriedly. "Is it about Kira?"

"Not exactly..." Dez replies without elaborating.

"Is it about Ally?" I try.

"Not really..."

"Is it about Jimmy?"

"No..."

"Trish?"

"No..."

"Dez, I'm bad at guessing games! Just tell me what this is about!" I finally exclaim.

"Well, someone's back in town..." he says.

" _Elliot?_ " I exclaim. "He left yesterday! But he can't be back! Why..."

"Not Elliot!" he interrupts. "And by the way, you're totally still jealous. We already went over this! Ally only likes him as a friend."

"Okay then, who is it?" I ask, ignoring his jealousy comment.

"Um, it's...Cassidy."

For a second I'm completely confused. Then I remember. Cassidy, with her long blonde hair. She was my first major crush last summer, and I did everything I could to get her to go out with me. I finally won her over, but she had to leave for LA with her band. For weeks I couldn't stop thinking about her, but I eventually did. Stop thinking about her, that is. I completely forgot about her, until today.

"Wait, why is Cassidy back?" I ask.

"Her band released their first album and she came back here for a little bit. I saw her at Melody's Diner! She's still waiting for that date."

Oh man, I totally forgot about that! We agreed that as soon as she got back from LA, we would go on a date! But right now, in this situation, a date with another cute girl is the last thing I need.

"What? But Dez, you know I can't! With Kira and Ally and everything right now..." I trail off.

"Do you still like Cassidy?" he asks.

"No! Well...yeah! Obviously! I couldn't stop thinking about her for weeks when she left! I guess...well, yeah!" I ramble.

"Buddy, you've got a problem." he says.

"I know." I reply. "She couldn't have picked a worse timing! With Ally and Kira and everything!"

"No, that's not the problem." he says.

"What? Then what is?"

"Someone else has come back, too."

* * *

 **Ally's POV**

"What?" I exclaim.

"Yeah, aren't you so happy?" Trish asks happily.

"Trish, you know I don't feel that way about Dallas anymore!" I exclaim.

"Ally, come on!" she exclaims. "You like Austin, I know! But with Kira and Cassidy, you've got to get over him. Elliott didn't work for you, but you still like Dallas! You just forgot about him because you didn't see him for a while!"

"Why did he even get his cellphone accessory cart back anyways?" I ask.

"He wanted to! He stopped working at his mom's library and got back his cart. He wants to be with you, Ally!" she replies.

I groan. "Trish, what am I going to do?"

"What do you mean? You should be overjoyed! Go out with Dallas! You'll fall in love and live happily ever after!"

"Trish, you know I don't like him anymore! He's just...I'm into music and stuff, and I'm into musical people! I'm not really confident...so I need someone who is! Dallas isn't musical _or_ confident!" I exclaim.

"Okay, and Austin is!" she replies. "But what if he choose Kira? Or Cassidy? Are you just going to mope around and cry? Come on, Ally! Dallas is back! This is your big chance!"

"Look, Trish, if he chooses Kira or Cassidy, I'd rather not date anyone at all." I say. "I don't want to go out with Dallas just because Austin didn't choose me. I don't want to go out with Dallas at all!"

Trish opens her mouth to say something, but then her eyes widen.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Hey, Ally." a voice calls from the door.

I spin around and I see Dallas. Okay, he's still cute. Just not as cute as Austin.

"Oh, hey, Dallas..." I reply, walking towards him. "So, uh, what brings you here?"

"I missed you, Ally." he says. "I missed seeing you every day when you passed by the cellphone accessory cart. I missed seeing you whenever I passed by Sonic Boom. So I left the li _bary_ and got my cart back."

I shiver at his pronunciation of 'library'. Moreover, this is really awkward. He obviously really missed me, and he obviously still really likes me. How should I tell him I don't feel the same way anymore?

"Ally, you can't go out with Dallas!" a voice screams from behind me.

I turn around to see Austin barrelling down the stairs from the practice room. He's running really fast and looks really distressed.

"Austin, what's going on?" I ask.

"I, uh-" he trails off.

"Hey Austin, nice to see you again!" Dallas says.

"Um, nice to see you too? I guess." Austin replies awkwardly.

"Austin, what makes you think I'm going out with Dallas?" I ask.

"Uh...I don't know...I don't even care! Bye!" he exclaims, running out of the store.

"Well, that was weird." Dallas says. "But Ally, will you go out with me? Like on a date?"

 _Go,_ one side of me says. _You had a crush on him forever. This will help you get over Austin._

 _Don't go,_ the other side of me says. _This will forever ruin your chances with Austin._

"Um..." I mumble. "Can I think about it? Come back tomorrow and I'll have an answer."

Before he can reply or I can embarrass myself further, I run back up to the practice room.

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope you liked it! If not, as I always say, feedback is always appreciated! Not sure when I'll next update but I'll try to make it soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: sorry for constantly being slow to update. Unfortunately, that's probably how it's going to be for a while. Thanks to anyone who's reading this!**

* * *

 **Austin's POV**

"Look, Kira, you know I like you." I explain. "But it's hard for me right now to give you any answers. I mean, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Yeah, right, you just want to be with Ally!" Kira exclaims. "If you want to be with her, then just say it!"

"But that's not it," I try to explain, "I want to be with you, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Yours, Ally's, or Cassidy's."

"Who's Cassidy?" she asks.

Oops. Apparently I forgot to tell her about Cassidy.

"Cassidy is... well, I mean..." I sputter. "We met Cassidy during the summer, and then she told me that her band was going to LA. When she came back, we were going to go out. Like on a date."

"Oh, so there's another girl in the picture now?" she exclaims. "You know what, Austin, I don't want to talk to you right now. Once you've made your decision, come talk to me. I told you not to talk to me until you made a decision, but here you are, without one. Make sure you know what you want."

"Wait, Kira-"

"Bye, Austin." she interrupts, walking away from our table in the food court.

I sigh. What should I do? Dez said that I was meeting up with Cassidy tonight at Melody's Diner for our date. After all, it's the place where we met. I really don't want to go on any dates tonight, especially not with Cassidy. It's not that I don't like her, I really do, but it'll just make things more complicated between me and Kira, and cause more tension between me and Ally.

"Hey buddy, what's up?" Dez asks, sitting down at the empty chair at my table.

"Dez, can you tell Cassidy that I don't feel like going out tonight?" I ask.

"Why not?" he asks, sounding concerned...and distraught. "I thought you had a major crush on her!"

"Well...I do," I reply, "but Kira's just going to be mad. I really want to be with her! Kira, I mean. So if I go out with Cassidy, it'll make her mad and probably reject me. And besides, it'll cause more tension between me and Ally. I really, really like her, Dez."

"Sorry, I got confused. You like who?" he asks.

"Ally! I mean, I like Kira a lot, too, and same with Cassidy." I reply. "I don't know, Dez! Can you just make sure I don't see Cassidy today?"

"Ooh, too late." he says. "She's over there on the other side of the food court. She's coming this way."

I groan as I spot her walking towards our table.

"Hey, Austin!" she exclaims, hugging me. "Can't wait for that date tonight!"

I grimace but try to turn it into a smile. Cassidy's still cute. That hasn't changed. But under these circumstances, I'd rather not go out with her.

"About that..." I mumble. "I still want to go out with you, but can you wait a couple of days?"

"Why?" she asks. "I thought we were going on that date as soon as I got back here!"

"Well...it's complicated." I reply. "Don't get me wrong, I still like you, but...there are some other girls."

"Seriously?" she says. Not mad, but just surprised. "The last time I was here, you had a huge crush on me, not anyone else."

"I'm sorry, I just need a few days to sort this all out." I say apologetically. "Can I have your number? I'll text you when I've figured something out."

"Are you sure it's _just_ so that you can contact me when you've figured something out?" she asks, smiling.

"Okay, you got me." I reply. "But I do need to contact you when I've figured something out."

"Dez has my number." she replies. "Did you know he collects phone numbers? He's writing a phone book."

I glance over at Dez. Sure enough, he has his phone out, probably scrolling through his contacts, and he's writing in a gigantic book. I laugh.

"Okay, thanks so much." I say, turning back to Cassidy. "I'm glad you're so cool about this. Kira got kind of mad."

"I don't know who Kira is, but no problem." she replies, giving me another hug. "See you later, Austin!"

I sigh in relief. At least I have a few days to decide what I'm going to do. After seeing her again, though, I realize that I still really like Cassidy. This is just going to make things more complicated.

"Dez, let's go back to Sonic Boom." I say.

"Okay," he replies, getting up and carrying his giant phone book.

We start walking back to Sonic Boom. I know I need to talk to Ally, but I don't really know what to say. It only takes a minute before we're back in the store. As soon as I walk in, I see Ally at the grand piano. She's not playing it, but she's just sitting there, staring off into the distance.

"Hey," I say softly, sitting next to her.

"We should probably talk." she suggests, and I nod. "Upstairs?"

"Okay," I agree, and we walk up to the practice room where we can talk without being interrupted.

"Ally, I really, really like you." I admit.

"I know." she replies. "And I really like you, too. But you obviously really like Kira and Cassidy, too. So let's just forget about all of this until you make a decision."

"What about Dallas?" I ask.

"I...I agreed to go out with him. One date." she tells me. "It doesn't mean anything. He really likes me, so I said yes."

"Oh," I say, disappointed. "But...but does that mean that then you're okay if I want to be with Kira or Cassidy? Since you're with Dallas?"

"I mean...if you want to be with Kira or Cassidy, then I won't stop you. I still want to be with you, but it's fine if you don't want to be with me. Dallas is just a friend to me. But he likes me, so I figured that I should give you some space while you decide. So if you want to be with Kira or Cassidy, that's fine. But...I still like you."

"You're sure?" I say doubtfully. "Because if you'll be sad or anything if I don't pick you...just tell me. I'd choose you in a heartbeat. But if you want to be with Dallas...then I'll support you, too."

She doesn't say anything for a while, but she just looks at me a little sadly. After what seems like an eternity, she replies.

"I just want you to be happy, Austin. If that means being with Kira or with Cassidy, then I'll be happy for you. And you know a lot of things could go wrong if we dated. It could affect our partnership and even our friendship. So I want you to make sure you make the right decision before you come to me. And don't even worry about Dallas. It's just one date. I don't feel about him in the same way as I did last summer."

"Okay, I believe you." I say after a little while. "But if anything changes, let me know. I want you to be happy, and I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to. And I don't want to stop you from doing what you want. So if you want to be with Dallas, just let me know and I'll be happy for you two."

"Thanks, Austin." she says, wrapping her arms around my neck in a hug. "And you know that I know that you'll make the right decision for yourself, and I'll be happy for you, no matter what."

"Just promise me that Elliot's not coming back any time soon. The last thing that any of us need is another person in the mix." I say.

"Nope, Elliot's not coming back any time soon." she laughs. "He went back to Tampa."

"Good, no one else is returning home." I laugh.

"Oh!" she exclaims. "Someone else _is_ returning home!"

"Seriously?" I exclaim. "Come on, we don't need anymore drama! How many guys do you know, anyways?"

"It's not a guy!" she laughs. "It's my mom! She's coming home from Africa!"

"Oh," I laugh, feeling a little embarrassed. "That's awesome! I can't wait to meet her!"

"She's having a book signing party at the Jungle Cafe!" Ally exclaims, excited. "I thought maybe you could play at it?"

I think for a little bit. I would love to play at Ally's mom's book signing party, but it seems like there's something else I need. An unfulfilled fulfillment, I guess.

"Okay, I'll play at her party!" I reply. "But...only if you sing with me."

"Me?" Ally exclaims. "But you know I have stage fright! I can't...I can't perform!"

"I know, but I think you can do it." I reply. "Ally, remember when you sang with me at Jimmy Starr's Halloween party?"

"Yeah, but I was pretending to be Taylor Swift! There's no way I could've done that if people knew that it was me." she argues.

"But, Ally," I counter, "remember when I first met you? You were shy and insecure. Remember the Helen show?"

She smiles. "Yeah. I got so freaked out, I destroyed the whole set!"

"But now, you could even sing on stage at a Halloween party with some of the biggest celebrities watching!" I exclaim. "The you that I first met would've destroyed the party before even singing."

She doesn't say anything in reply, a worried look on her face. I know she really wants to be able to conquer her stage fright, and I know she wants to make her mom proud. But I also know that it'll be hard for her to just get up on stage and perform.

"So, what do you say?" I ask after a while.

"I...I don't know, Austin." she replies, twirling a lock of her hair. "I really want to, but I'm really scared. I'll have to think about it."

"Okay," I say. I wait about five minutes. "So?"

"You mean I have to decide right now?" she asks, surprised. "Austin, I don't know. I promise, I'll think about it. But right now, I have to go meet Dallas. We're going to the movies."

"Okay, have fun." I say a bit sadly.

"You're okay, right?" she asks. "I know you have a lot on your mind."

Am I okay? Do I want to be with Ally? No, I want to be with Kira...right? No, I want to be with Cassidy. I don't know!

"Yeah..." I reply, "I just need some time to think. Have fun on your date, anyhow."

"Thanks, Austin." she says, giving me a hug. "See you tonight!"

Before I can reply, she dashes out the door.

* * *

 **Author's note: thanks for reading! As always, feedback is appreciated! Sorry if the next update takes a while, I'm still busy studying for music exams.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: If you're a Raura shipper, please read this author's note. If not, you can continue reading. Thanks for reading, by the way.**

 **You're probably aware of the longstanding feud between Raura and Rourtney shippers. And there's a lot of hate. A lot of Raura shippers hate Rourtney shippers, and even Courtney herself, and a lot of Rourtney shippers hate Raura shippers, and even Laura herself. But several days ago, it went too far. A very well-known (but controversial) Raura shipper on Instagram announced that she would start supporting Courtney, and a Rourtney shipper replied saying that she would also support Laura. Only a few days later, the Raura account was hacked by the Rourtney shipper. Twice. The first time, the fandom came together and saved it. The second time, we weren't so lucky. I don't use Instagram much, but I saw it all happen. To all Raura shippers: if you support Courtney, or at least respect her, thank you and keep doing that. If you hate Courtney, I ask you to step back and consider. Why don't you like her? Is it only because of your love of Raura? Because I believe that everyone should have their own beliefs that should at least be accepted by others, even if they don't agree.**

* * *

 **Ally's POV**

"How was the date?" Trish asks me.

"I don't know what to think, Trish." I reply. "I thought I was over Dallas. But after today...I realize that I'm not."

"That's great!" she exclaims. "Then Austin can go out with Kira or Cassidy, and you can go out with Dallas!"

"But it's not that easy," I reply, walking around the store and sorting the guitars. "I still really like Austin, and I don't know if I like Dallas _that_ much."

"Come on, Ally!" she exclaims. "You really like Dallas!"

"I know I do, Trish. But I think I want to be with Austin." I confess.

"Okay, okay!" she replies. "But if he chooses Kira or Cassidy, at least accept the fact that you have Dallas."

I continue pacing around the store, organizing instruments while I'm at it.

"I don't want to feel like I'm just with Dallas because he's my second choice, though," I explain, "I don't know what to do!"

As if an echo, I hear another, louder voice exclaim, "I don't know what to do!"

I hear the door of Sonic Boom slam open as Austin walks in, lamenting to Dez.

"I don't know what to do!" he repeats.

"Hey...guys," I say awkwardly. "What are you doing?"

Austin blushes a little, which make my heart melt a lot. He's just _so cute_!

"Hey...Ally," he says awkwardly. "Hey, Trish!"

"Austin doesn't know whether to choose Kira, Cassidy, or Ally." Dez explains. "Personally, I'm on Team Ally."

I blush. "Don't let Dez's bias get in the way of your choice, Austin. Don't worry too much about it, I'm sure you'll figure something out soon."

It's a bit of a lie. I really want Dez's bias to influence Austin's decision. I want to be with him! But at the same time, a lot of things could go wrong, risking our partnership and even our friendship. So would it be better for me to get out of the way and choose Dallas?

As if she's reading my mind, Trish begins speaking quite loudly. "Austin, I'll have you know that Ally had a great time on her date with Dallas. She's reconsidering her feelings, you know."

"Trish!" I exclaim, pushing her aside.

"Is it true, Ally?" Austin asks. "Because if you want to be with Dallas, I'm really happy for you two."

"No!" I exclaim. "I mean...yes! I don't know? Let's not talk about this right now."

"Okay, but I thought I would just tell you and Trish something." he replies. "I'm going on a date with Cassidy tonight. Just to get to know her. You know how I really liked her in the summer, but I realize that I never really got to know her. And maybe she's not right for me. Maybe she is, but I have to get to know her before I really know."

I nod, signaling my approval. I don't know whether I want him to like Cassidy or not. If he ends up liking Cassidy, he'll probably dump Kira, and then Jimmy would probably get really mad. And I would be a little sad, but at least I still would have Dallas. But if Austin realizes that Cassidy's not the girl for him, he has to choose between me or Kira, and I have a feeling that it wouldn't be an easy decision for him at all.

"So, do you two have a song for Ally's mom's party?" Trish asks.

"I don't know if I'm going to sing, Trish." I reply. "I mean, you know I have stage fright-"

"Whoa, slow down!" she exclaims. "I thought Austin was singing! Why would you sing? You have stage fright and you would make a complete fool of yourself!"

I roll my eyes. "Thanks, Trish." I say sarcastically.

"I decided that I'm only going to sing if Ally does it with me." Austin explains. "I think she can do it. Besides, she's going to have to conquer her stage fright at some point or another. Why not do it now?"

He wraps his arm around me and smiles. I look up at him and smile back.

"Good point," Trish admits, "but still, Ally has stage fright! Ally, are you sure you can do this?"

"I don't know," I sigh. "I really do want to conquer my stage fright. I don't always want to be backstage, watching. Don't get me wrong, I love watching Austin perform, but I want to be able to do it, too. And not just in a costume like Galexis Nova. I want to perform as me. But I'm still really scared."

"I get it." she replies. "But whether you're performing or not, Austin still needs a song to perform."

"I told you, I'm not performing without Ally." he says stubbornly.

"Austin, at least consider." I say, turning to look at him. "You know I want to perform, but I don't know if I can do it. I promise, I'll try. But if I can't, someone still has to perform."

"I can perform!" Dez exclaims. "I'll do my world-famous tap dancing act!"

"Okay, fine!" Austin says quickly. "I'll perform. But Ally, you have to promise me that you'll at least get on that stage. If you can't do it, I'll sing alone. But it's no fun when I'm singing solo."

"Hey, it's like that song you wrote a while ago!" Trish exclaims.

"There's no way I can make it without ya, do it without ya, be here without ya," Dez sings in his worst falsetto. "It's no fun when you're doing it solo... you know, because Austin said that it's no fun when he's singing solo!"

"Ally, you know you can always come to me." Austin tells me.

"Hey, that could make a good song lyric!" I exclaim, trying not to look him in the eye. "You can come to me. Sounds good!"

"Ally, look at me." he says, turning my head so I'm forced to look him in the eye. "You can do it. You can conquer your stage fright!"

I try not to look at him because I know that it'll cause emotions to surface, no matter how hard I try to keep them away.

"O-okay," I finally say. "Okay, I'll do it. I'm going to conquer my stage fright!"

Instead of replying, Austin wraps his arms around me in a hug. He pulls me so close to him that all I can do is hug him back while trying not to suffocate. It's not a bad feeling, though. It's different from all our previous hugs. It's more than friendly, at least that's how it seems to me. And it feels good.

"Guys..." Trish says, somewhat...worriedly?

"Mm-hm?" I mumble, not letting go of Austin.

"Guys!" she exclaims, just as the door slams open.

"Austin, I cannot believe you!" a voice exclaims as we all spin to face the door.

"Kira, what's going on?" he asks. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me until I made a decision?"

"I was _going_ to apologize for acting so annoying and selfish, but I see that now you've made your decision and you didn't even bother to tell me." she says spitefully.

"Kira, look, this is all a misunderstanding!" he replies. "I still haven't made my decision, and besides, I'm still going out with Cassidy tonight."

"You're _what_?" she exclaims.

"Yeah, I just wanted to get to know her better, see what she's really like..." he trails off. "Look, Kira, if you're going to act so jealous, I'd rather not be with you."

Her face instantly goes from an expression of anger to one of dismay. "Austin, I'm sorry. I'll try to be more understanding. But I really, really like you."

Her face visibly softens and I realize that she's not really a jealous girl. She just likes Austin a lot, and she has a reason to be defensive. After all, they were going out in the first place. I would probably feel the same way. In a way, I do. Don't get me wrong, Austin liked Kira before he liked me, but we've been friends for way longer than we've known Kira. In fact, we even met Cassidy before we met Kira.

"Okay, Kira-" Austin says.

He's interrupted by his phone ringing. He quickly glances at it before hurriedly putting it away.

"I was supposed to be at Melody's Diner ages ago!" he exclaims. "Gotta go, talk to you later!"

He runs out the door, barrelling past Kira, on his way to his date with Cassidy. The rest of us watch silently. Trish is the one who breaks the silence.

"Hey, do you think Mindy would hire me back?"

* * *

 **Author's note: thanks for reading! Sorry as always if the next chapter takes a while. Strangely enough, I seem to have more time to write during the school year. Or maybe this summer's just extra busy.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: sorry as usual for being slow to update. Maybe I should lower my expectations as to how fast I can update. Some fanfiction writers take months, at any rate.**

* * *

 **Ally's POV**

"If you wanna climb I'll be your ladder, if you wanna run I'll be your road...what's the next line?"

"If you want a friend," I reply.

"Right...friend," he says awkwardly. "I like that."

"You do?" I ask nervously. "You don't think we should use a stronger word?"

"I don't know..." he replies, "maybe...I just don't want to mess up our...song."

"Yeah," I say, "I'd hate to rush into a new song and change the great song we already have!"

It's been three days since Austin's date with Cassidy, and since then, they've gone on two more dates. He's also gone to the food court with Kira, the stated reason being to talk to Jimmy, but I suspect that Kira just also wants some alone time with Austin. In the meantime, the only alone time I've had with Austin was to write this new song, and I haven't even talked to Dallas.

The door of the practice room opens quickly, and to my surprise, it's neither Trish nor Dez. It's Cassidy.

"Hey guys!" she exclaims. "I heard you guys rehearsing in here! It sounds really good!"

"Thanks, Cassidy!" Austin replies. "Hey, maybe sometime your band, me, and Ally could collaborate on something?"

"I don't know-" I say quickly.

"That would be awesome!" she exclaims, effectively interrupting me. "We could write and record a song together!"

"Yeah...awesome..." I mumble.

"By the way, Austin," Cassidy says, "do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"Sorry, Cassidy," he replies, "I'm performing at Ally's mom's book signing party. I can't go out tonight."

"Cool, Ally's mom has a book signing party? Can I come?" she asks excitedly.

I glance quickly over at Austin and Cassidy. "Sure," I say a bit uncertainly. "It's at the Jungle Cafe."

"Awesome! See you tonight!" she exclaims as she closes the door and heads back downstairs.

Only seconds later, the door opens again. It's not Cassidy this time, nor is it Trish or Dez. It's Dallas.

"Hey...Dallas," I say awkwardly. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I was just wondering, Ally, do you want to go out for dinner tonight? I guess you're not really checking your text messages, so I came here to ask you myself." he says.

It's not that I haven't been checking my text messages, but I just couldn't handle all that's going on. I see in the corner of my eye a jealous expression on Austin's face. I can't help but smile.

"Sorry, Dallas, I'm performing at my mom's book signing party tonight." I reply. "But you can come if you want! It's at the Jungle Cafe."

"Cool, I'll be there!" he replies, and promptly closes the door and leaves.

"Ally, why did you invite him?" Austin asks as soon as he leaves.

"I invited Cassidy, why not invite Dallas?" I reply, smiling mischievously. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Pfft, no," he laughs. "Okay, maybe? Whatever. Doesn't matter. Just don't invite Kira. There's going to be enough drama without her."

"Okay, that's cool." I reply.

I hear a loud knock on the door. It's not Cassidy or Dallas, so it must be Kira.

"Ignore it," Austin whispers, "it's probably Kira trying to convince me to choose her or something. She still kind of mad that I went out with Cassidy."

I nod, but I don't mention that Kira might also be a bit mad from when she caught me and Austin hugging. I know it was just as friends, but it probably looked like more. It felt like more, at any rate.

The banging on the door gets louder until we hear a voice that is distinctly _not_ Kira's.

"Austin! Ally! It's Trish! Open up already!"

Austin jumps up and quickly opens the door, just as Trish and Dez walk in.

"Hey guys, have you finished the song yet?" Trish asks. "You know, you're performing tonight."

"And Austin," Dez adds, "have you chosen-"

Trish interrupts him by elbowing him in the stomach. "This isn't about girls, Dez! Focus!"

"No, I was going to ask Austin if he's chosen his outfit for tonight!" he exclaims. "Red or blue jacket, Austin?"

"Trish, we've finished the song, and we just have to practice it a little bit." Austin replies. "And Dez, I'm thinking blue."

"But Ally's wearing red," Trish says, "so maybe you should also wear red?"

"Okay, red it is!" Austin replies.

"By the way, Austin," Dez adds. "Have you chosen which girl you want to go out with yet?"

Trish responds by dragging him out the door before Austin can respond. The door closes loudly.

* * *

"Ally, it is so good to see you again!" my mom exclaims, giving me a hug.

"I can't wait to tell you about everything that's happened, mom!" I exclaim. "And guess what? Austin and I are performing at your party tonight!"

"Oh, I'm so proud of you, Ally!" she exclaims. "You're finally going to conquer your stage fright!"

I smile. "I'm really excited, but I'm also really nervous. What if something goes wrong? What if I forget all the lyrics?"

"Don't worry, Ally." she replies comfortingly. "It'll be fine! You'll be amazing up there! Also, where are your friends? I can't wait to see Trish again, and to meet Austin and Dez!"

The original plan was to have the four of us surprise my mom at Sonic Boom, but after a small disagreement between Dez and Trish and a surprise visit from Jimmy Starr, I was left alone to wait for my mom to get back.

"Hey, Ally! Hey, Mrs Dawson!" a voice calls from the door.

I look up to see Austin walking back into the store. He's wearing a red leather jacket that he looks _so good_ in, that I find myself just walking closer to him.

"Hey, mom, this is Austin!" I say.

"It is so nice to meet you, Austin!" she exclaims. "Ally's told me all about you! I'm so glad that you're performing at my party tonight. I couldn't think of anyone better to perform with my Ally when she conquers her stage fright!"

He blushes. "Thanks, that means a lot. I can't wait for tonight!"

"Austin, Ally, there you are!" Dez exclaims, walking right up to us. "Who's this lady?"

I laugh. "Dez, this is my mom. Mom, this is Dez."

"It is so nice to meet you, Dez!" my mom says to him.

"What did Ally say about me?" he asks excitedly.

"Um..." she replies, "she said that your name is Dez!"

"Aw, yes!" he exclaims. "Thanks, Ally!"

"Where's Trish?" I ask. "She's not _working_ , right?"

"Knowing Trish, probably not." Austin and my mom say in unison.

Just as we're laughing, as if on cue, Trish walks into the store.

"Mrs Dawson! Welcome back to Miami!" she exclaims.

"Trish, it's so good to see you again!" my mom exclaims, giving her a hug. "How many jobs have you been fired from since I left for Africa?"

"Eh, anywhere from 100 to 1000." she laughs. "Who's keeping track, anyways? I'd stay to talk, but I have to finalize some stuff for tonight. I _may_ have forgotten to check if there are microphones at the Jungle Cafe. We'll have to bring some if there aren't."

We all laugh as Trish leaves the store. At least she's finally doing her job!

"Dez!" Austin exclaims. "We should go find some other jackets! There were tons of other red leather jackets in the jacket store."

"Okay!" Dez replies, and the two of them run off to find more jackets.

"We have so much to talk about, mom!" I exclaim as we walk over to sit down.

"Okay, let's start with the budding romance between you and Austin!" she exclaims.

I blush. "Austin and I do like each other, but it's complicated. Dallas came back and got his job back at the cellphone accessory cart, and I still kind of like him."

"Oh, Dallas, the guy you had a crush on in the summer?" my mom asks. "Aw, well, you just have to decide whether you like Austin or Dallas better. Who would you rather be with?"

"It's more complicated than that, though." I tell her. "There are also these two other girls. Kira and Cassidy."

"Who are they?" my mom asks.

"Kira's Jimmy Starr's daughter," I explain. "The owner of Starr Records, the one that Austin signed to. Kira and Austin went on a couple dates. And Cassidy's this girl that we met in the summer. She's in a band that went to LA, but she came back and went on a couple dates with Austin."

"And how many dates have you been on with Austin?" my mom asks.

I blush again. "None...yet..."

"You really like him, don't you." she says.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask.

"Well, your face lights up when you see him, and you blush every time you talk about him. It's at least a major crush." she replies.

"Okay, I really, really like Austin." I admit. "But I like Dallas, too, and I know that Austin likes Kira and still likes Cassidy."

To most people, Austin in the situation might seem like some confused teenage boy who has a crush on every girl he's ever laid eyes on. But I know that's not true. He likes Cassidy for who she is, and that's the reason why they're still going out. He likes Kira for who she is, of course, but also because he likes her as a friend. And he likes me as a friend more than anyone, but he also likes me as more than a friend.

"Maybe he just needs time," my mom suggests. "Give him a few days or weeks to figure everything out. From everything you've told me about him, he's smart enough to figure this all out. And I know he really cares about you, Ally."

"I know." I reply, smiling. "I'm not sure about the part when you said he's smart, but I know he can figure it out."

* * *

 **Austin's POV**

"I can't figure it out!" I exclaim to Dez, just as I'm trying on two different red leather jackets.

"Listen, Austin," he replies, "it's simple. When you look into your heart, do you see yourself...with sausage or pepperoni?"

"What?" I ask. "What does that have to do with which jacket I should buy?"

"I'm just really hungry, buddy." he replies. "We should get pizza for lunch."

"I just can't figure out whether I want to be with Ally, Kira, or Cassidy!" I exclaim, changing the topic completely.

"What? I thought you were just talking about jackets!" Dez says, confused.

"No, I figured it out." I reply, holding up the darker red jacket. "I'm going to get this one. But seriously, Dez, I don't know what to do!"

"About the jackets, the pizza, or the girls?" he asks.

"The girls!" I exclaim, frustrated. "I really like Ally. I want to be with her, but I don't want to risk our friendship...even our partnership. And I really like Cassidy, too, and we have so much in common!"

"Then choose Cassidy!" he exclaims. "You don't want to ruin your friendship with Ally, so choose Cassidy!"

"But you know that Kira would get really mad if I didn't choose her. And if she complained to Jimmy, I might lose my record deal!" I exclaim.

"So what you're saying is..." Dez trails off.

"I know! I need to choose Kira until I can figure out how to let her down easy, otherwise, I might lose my career." I finish his thought.

"What?" he says. "No, I was going to say, what you're saying is that you'd rather have burgers than pizza!"

I sigh. "Never mind. All I know is, I need to be with Kira, at least for now."

"Oh," Dez says, "I was hoping you'd pick Ally. I think you're right for each other. Plus, I made hundreds of these."

He unzips his jacket, revealing a neon t-shirt saying "Team Ally". I roll my eyes, as if I think he's crazy, which he is, but it also gets me thinking. Is Dez right? He is the Love Whisperer, after all. Should I be with Ally?

"I know you want me to be with Ally," I tell him, "but it might mean upsetting a lot of people. Cassidy, Kira...even Jimmy. I can't take that kind of risk."

"If you say so." Dez replies, and promptly walks away, leaving me alone in the jacket store.

A girl who works at the store taps me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, are you going to buy one of those jackets?"

I hold up the darker jacket. "Yeah, I think I'll get this one."

* * *

 **Author's note: If you got up to here, thanks for reading! As always, feedback is appreciated, and I'm sorry if the next update takes a while.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: well, here's the last chapter of Returning Home. I didn't expect it to end so fast, but it kind of just worked out that way. So thanks in advance for reading, if you made it this far:)**

* * *

 **Austin's POV**

"I'm going to go talk to Ally." Mrs Dawson says.

"No!" I exclaim. "Mrs Dawson, you can come, but can I talk to her first? I really just want to thank her for everything that she's done for me and my career. There's no way I could be here without her, and I want to repay the favor."

"Thanks, Austin." she replies. "Sure, you can go talk to her. I'll be here."

As I run back to Sonic Boom, I think of everything that's just happened. Ally and I were on stage. We were about to perform, but she suddenly ran offstage and away! I know she's probably really scared, but I know that she can do it! I just have to talk her into it.

I open the door to the store. I guess Ally forgot to lock it. So she must be inside. I don't see her anywhere, but the lights are on, so I head upstairs to the practice room. I knock on the door once.

"Ally, it's Austin!" I call.

There's no reply.

"Ally, are you in there?"

Still no reply.

"Okay, I'm coming in!"

I open the door, expecting not to see Ally, but there she is, sitting at the piano, looking beautiful as ever.

"Hey, what's up?" I say.

"I couldn't do it," she says softly. "I really thought I could do it this time. But as soon as I heard my mom call my name, I just panicked. It doesn't help that I know that Cassidy and Dallas are out there. And, you know, Dallas likes me a lot. But he's really just a friend in my eyes. He's great and all, but I just like him as a friend. It just makes me more scared, knowing that he's out there with feelings that I don't reciprocate."

I sit down next to her on the piano bench. "Hey, I totally get it. You were nervous. You were afraid that you would fail. But you won't, because you're Ally, and I know you can do it. And even if you do fail, you get back up and try again. And you won't fail forever, because you're way too talented for that. And don't worry about Dallas. You don't have to like every guy in the world as more than a friend. Heck, you don't have to like every guy in the world at all. You probably shouldn't, some of them are jerks. Like Trent."

She smiles. "You sound like my mom."

"Uh...thanks?" I laugh.

She laughs a little, too, before being serious again. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to disappoint you or my mom, or anyone else, but I'm just too scared to get back on that stage. I can't do it."

"I think you can," I tell her. "I really do. And I also just want to thank you."

"Thank me?" she says, confused. "What for?"

"For everything that you've done for me since the day we met." I reply. "You were always there for me, no matter what. You started my career when no one else believed in me. You were my friend by my side, no matter what. So here I am. I'm here for you and I'll be your friend, no matter what. And even if no one believes in you, not even yourself, I'll believe in you."

I hold my arms out for a hug and she doesn't hesitate for a second before wrapping her arms around me.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on the door. "Ally, are you in there? It's mom, do you know where Austin is?"

"We're in here, mom!" Ally replies.

Her mom walks in right away, just as we separate from our hug.

"Mom, I think I'm ready to perform."

* * *

"Austin, I'm nervous." she whispers.

We're backstage, the curtains about to open, and we're about to perform.

"Don't be." I reply. "You're going to be amazing. And I'll be here the whole time, by your side."

"I...I don't know if I can do this." she whispers back.

I hear Mrs Dawson's voice announcing our names, and I know that I only have a few seconds and that's not enough to say anything motivational to Ally. So I don't. Instead, I just sidle over to her and kiss her cheek, before returning back to my original position. Her jaw drops as the curtain opens, and the crowd is clapping. She looks around, then blushes. There's no time to waste, though, and as I play the guitar, she sings the whole first verse of the song, looking over at me often and then immediately looking down.

"And when you're afraid that you're gonna break, and you need a way to feel strong again," I sing the second verse, "someone will know it,"

"And even when it hurts the most, try to have a little hope, 'cause someone's gonna be there when you don't, when you don't," she joins me.

I look over at her and smile right when we start singing the chorus. It's almost surreal, having her performing next to me, and it just all seems like a blur. I can't believe that it's finally happening, and at the same time, it just all feels right.

She walks up to me when the song is finishing, bringing her microphone up so that we're both sharing it, and I just sing, but I mostly watch her and see the joy in her eyes. In that moment, I realize that she's what I need in this world, she's what's given me meaning. And it's all I can do to give the same back to her.

"You can come to me, yeah."

The crowd cheers and claps as Ally drags me backstage to give me a big hug.

"I did it!" she exclaims. "I conquered my stage fright!"

"I always knew you could do it," I reply.

"I feel like I can do anything!" she exclaims, looking up at me with excited eyes.

"I know I can do anything." I reply. "As long as I'm with you."

Without any hesitation, surprising me, she stands up on her tiptoes, wraps her arms around my neck, and kisses me square on the lips. It's not a long kiss by any means, but it just feels so right and so good. I hold her in a hug for a bit longer, until she pulls away slowly.

"Ally, I'm sorry it took me so long to realize," I tell her.

She looks up at me with wide eyes, nodding for me to continue.

"You are the girl for me," I say. "Ally, without you, who knows where I would be today? I would just be another teenaged boy with no real purpose."

Here she giggles a little.

"But now I realize that those other girls had nothing on you. They were just crushes, meaningless crushes. They're great people, but, Ally, you are so much more than that to me. You're my friend, my best friend, my partner, and I wouldn't trade you for the world. I really, really like you, Ally, so will you be my girlfriend?"

She hesitates for a second before wrapping her arms around my neck in another hug.

"So... that's a yes?" I laugh.

"Yes," she replies.

I pull her into another hug, loving the feeling of it. It's like we're meant to be.

"Austin, but what are you going to tell Kira and Cassidy?" she mumbles.

"Cassidy will understand." I reassure her. "Kira, though, will probably take a bit longer to accept the fact that I'm with you. And Jimmy might get mad and I'll suffer the consequences, but it's okay, because I have you."

She pauses for a moment, still hugging me, before speaking again.

"Thank you, Austin."

"Thank me? What for?" I echo her words from before.

"For believing in me when I didn't believe in myself." she replies. "For being my friend, and for never giving up on me even when I gave up on you. You know, I hated you those first few days. Not only were you annoying in the store, you also stole my song and insisted that I write you another. I hated you! But now..."

She doesn't say anything, so I decide to prompt her. "But now what?"

"But now..." she says, "now I love you."

I'm speechless for a few seconds as I watch her blushing face, before I have the capacity to reply.

"I love you, too." I reply, pulling her into another hug.

I pretty much lift her off the ground as we hug, and she kisses me once again. Some people might say that we don't mean what we're saying, that we don't truly love each other. Maybe they're right. But maybe they're not. I don't know if this is what love feels like, but if this isn't it, I can't wait to find out what is. And I know that it'll be Ally by my side when I find out.

* * *

 **Author's note: thanks for reading! I know that the ending probably wasn't entirely realistic, but I hope it was okay. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated:)**


End file.
